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Results for Development

Nuku'alofa business woman, Malia Tu'inukuafe Tonga, the new President of Women in Sustainable Enterprises Tonga Inc. (WISE) said she was overwhelmed by how women from different sectors of the economy were able to come together at the WISE Annual General Meeting last night on August 1.

Important questions over massive environmental damage caused by site works for the Va'epopua 18-holes golf course and its associated commercial developments remain unanswered, in spite of fears that the project is killing the reef and endangering the health and fishing livelihoods of its coastal communities.

Tonga's economy is heavily dependent on remittances from Tongan communities overseas, but transferring money to Tonga has become challenging, Tonga's Prime Minister Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva said yesterday, in launching a new voucher remittance service called 'Ave Pa'anga Pau, offered by the Tonga Development Bank.

Bank of South Pacific Tonga Ltd. last week opened new sub branches at Ha'apai and ‘Eua with fully Automated Teller Machine (ATMs) installed. BSP Country Head, Daniel Henson said renovations at the Vava'u branch were also opened by the Governor of Vava'u, Lord Fulivai, attended by the Chairman of Bank South Pacific, Sir Kostas Constantinou OBE.

Only 20% of households in the Pacific Islands have access to electricity, and electricity prices in the region are among the highest in the world, the Pacific Power Association Conference in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, was reminded yesterday. Keynote speaker, Kamleshwar Khelawan pointed out that more clarity in governance areas would help to encourage private sector confidence and much needed investment partnerships in the energy sector.

Sione Talanoa Fifita says: "I admire the PM for acknowleding his sympathy with the flood victims and at least he was honest with his response, despite the fact he is not proactive enough. The global most concern now is climate change and he should have been forecasted that such natural disaster would occur and be proactive to put aside a proportion of the budget for such occurrence." Read 21 other comments on lack of funding for flooding...

Faceook, Jo Yasmina says: Malo Australia :) , like all other Development Partners for Tonga are 'committing' & 'giving' $, and all are helping the "ongoing development in Tonga as well as economic reform". . Plus, no Gov't so little as Tonga economy can work alone. God bless Tonga!

Facebook, Robert Blake says: No disrespect to Australia for supporting, thanks- But this is undermining Tonga's Democratic system. ...When Australia help release that pressure by paying AUD$12million...the Government no longer see needs to answer to its people, no longer needs to justify their action to the people. ...coz the Gov't is employed by Australia.

New climate resilient buildings for twelve schools that have been rebuilt and refurbished in Ha’apai after being badly damaged by Tropical Cyclone Ian in 2014, were handed over to the Tonga government last week on 26 February.

Pacific Island nations and territories will continue to receive help to strengthen development needs thanks to New Zealand’s largest volunteer agency, Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA), for signing a three year Memorandum of Understanding with the Pacific Community (SPC).

Australia as a development partner, would continue to support the directions Tonga sets to achieve sustainable inclusive growth, said HE Mr Brett Aldam during Australia Day celebrations marked on 26 January, in Nuku'alofa.

More than 900 students in several schools on Tongatapu now have safe and accessible drinking water thanks to community efforts to restore broken water catchment systems. Lack of clean drinking water can cause ill health and poor attendence among students and remains an ongoing challenge for communities throughout Tonga.

The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) estimates that the Asia-Pacific region will need to invest between $2.1 trillion and $2.5 trillion per year to fund a comprehensive agenda for sustainable development. Shamshad Akhtar.

Government has approved in principle the draft Tongan Strategic Development Framework 2015-2025, ‘A more progressive Tonga: enhancing Our Inheritance’ to be shared widely to the public and stakeholders outside government for information and comment. Key Stakeholders and the public are invited to review and submit comments on the TSDFII before March 31, 2015.

The Tanoa Hotel Group from Fiji will take over Tonga's International Dateline Hotel for redevelopment this year, aiming to transform the seafront hotel and reopen as Tanoa Dateline in mid-2017, with a Tongan four star standard.